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Topic: Ratings Archive (Read 2159 times)

Well with the site getting worked up over the just completed running of cycle 13 and the rush to nail down everything in site, and then some (you have got to love the men and women here). Not to mention the happiness to have our cycle 14 confirmed, I thought I would update the ratings.

With most of the ratings for the series in only finale average (gleamed from things like Wikipedia), or several seasons of House Hold numbers (Which many readers may not casually understand), and the increase of DVR in syphoning away the viewing audience. I spent a couple weeks actually digging for ratings info.

I was able to find viewer totals for every episode (except for one, damn it), how they ranked, demo in adults 18-49 (for about half of the seasons), House Hold numbers (for again about half), and all the main DVR info (for last season).

I plan to update this list with any additional info (that I can discover for missing data) as well as update with new information starting in either September or October (Hell, Yeah). I will also (or, I am sure Puddin will, she is a damn bit faster then I am) have a separate ratings page just for the new season to make it less cumbersome for readers to check out new results.

Information for this archive was taking from several sources. Primary sources are from the weekly ratings info provided each week from the Los Angeles Times and the USA Today (for final numbers and ranking for season's one through six). Mediaweek's archives where used to provide the information on both Overnight ratings and Fast Nationals. Tvbythenumbers.com was used for all DVR related information. Finals, Fast Nationals, and overnights for seasons 9-12 were all taken from either pifeedback.com, press releases from CBS (often saved by Puddin, thank you so very much), or from sitcomsonline.com (which has a member who releases finals for the last two years).

I was motivated to do this for a couple reasons: 1. OCD; 2. I have could never get the info for season averages from season's 10-12 (which I did follow fairly religiously) to match up with the season averages provided on wikipedia. So I was always questioning how accurate that information was; 3. I mean a really severe case of OCD.

It might take a little while to figure out the best way to format the in for the site, so things might change, but hopefully I wont make to big of a mess out of it.

This is what I currently have for season 1. I do question the Premiere ratings of the first episode.

Legend:Episode 1: Refers to each individual hour, not necessarily to each leg, as later seasons starting doing what they refer to as TBC (To Be Continued) also referred to as Double legs.

Air Date: Simple enough the date they originally aired.

Standard Rating: Is the number of total viewers who watched the episode the day it aired or before 2am. This included a small number of people who watched shows that they recorded later that same day with their VCR, at this time considered a small percentage of the viewing audience. But with the advent of DVR will become a very significant number.

Adult 18-49: Refers to a measured level of that Standard Rating who are within the ages of 18-49. This demo is considered the most important demographic for advertisers and generally generates the most revenue for a show. I currently have no data for this season.

House Hold rating: Means the percentage of households that our watching both tv and this show in particular. Currently have no data on this season.

Ranking: How it placed compared to the other broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, and later the CW) shows based on Standard Rating. Typically the total number of shows varies between 105-125.

Fast National Rating: Is a measure of the total viewers based on the specific hour of the day. It doesn't factor in preemption's, time delays or other such factors. Currently have no data for this season.

Fast National Demo: Is a measure of the 18-49 demo based on the hour of the day. Currently have no data for this season.

Overnight Rating: Is a measure of the top 50 National markets in the US. The numbers reflect the percentages of Households watching. It doesn't measure specific viewers.

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have some Adult 18-49 Demo information for a handful of episodes and the addition on one episode's House Hold Rating.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

This also marks the season that I have one episode with no rating information.

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have some Adult 18-49 Demo information for a handful of episodes and the House Hold Rating for 2 episodes. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for close to half of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have more then half of the Adult 18-49 Demo information, the House Hold Rating for several episodes. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for over half of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have nearly all of the Adult 18-49 Demo information, the House Hold Rating for most episodes. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for nearly all of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have nearly all of the Adult 18-49 Demo information, the House Hold Rating for two episodes. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for nearly all of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I have some of the Adult 18-49 Demo information, but have no House Hold Data. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for nearly all of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have nearly all of the Adult 18-49 Demo information, the House Hold Rating for most episodes. Also I have Fast National information for both total viewers and adult 18-49 demo for nearly all of the episodes.

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legends is the same as season 1. But I finally have all the data for the standard chart (though I don't have the ranking of the Adult 18-49 Demo in comparison to the other shows on Network TV).

Ranking has also changed to reflect both the ranking in comparison to the standard ratings (always the first number or only number in this case), and when available the 2nd number reflects its ranking to the other shows adult 18-49 demo (it will always be the 2nd number).

Legend (the same set of data as the graph used in seasons 1-11, with the addition of several new data points which are defined below):

Live Rating: This is the number of people who watch the broadcast live (no same day info added, so you can see how many people watched an episode using a DVR or VCR later that same day).

Live + 7: This is the number of people who watched a program when it aired or up to 7 days later with DVR or VCR.

Viewer Increase: Shows the total number of people who used a DVR or VCR to watch the episode in the first 7 days.

Ranking: How that increase in viewer compared to all other network programming, the 2nd number is how that increased compared to the other programming on CBS.

% increase: Is the percentage of the total audience that used DVR (or VCr)s to watch.

% Ranking: Is how that percentage compares to all other network programming, the 2nd number is how that percentage compares to other programming on CBS. Only top 20 list are typically available. an N/a means the score increase was outside the top 20 for all network shows.

Analysis: Wow. Not only is this show in its 5th year scoring its 3rd highest standard ratings. When DVR use is factored in only season 7 (with its wide Survivor crossover appeal) was more successful.

Notes: This is the first season that I have comprehensive data from DVR usage. While DVRs (and before that VCRs) have been around for quite a while. It wasn't until about last year that they became a significant variant to the viewing habits of the population. It was estimated by Nielsen Media Research that between 4-10% of a shows audience watched a show at a later time using their DVR for the broadcast year of 2006-07 (Cycle 10 and 11 of AR). For the broadcast year of 2007-2008 that number has increased (roughly doubled). Meaning more and more people are not watching network programming when they air, but on their own schedule. THis is growing into a significant problem for network tv. With audience levels already dwindling smaller and smaller each year (primarily due to the advent of cable, wide access to seasons of shows on DVD, and the mainstream use of the internet), tv was already suffering a serious challenge to its financial model. The networks have been trying to get advertisers to pay based on live plus 7 data, instead of live same day (Standard ratings). Most advertisers don't do this. Though a growing number will use live plus three data (which is not released to the press, so I can't help there).